Nearly 1,000 new houses to be built in Sheffield

Tuesday 24 October 2017

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24 October 2017

More than 850 new homes are set to be built across Sheffield – including areas of Manor, Norfolk Park and Parson Cross.

Sheffield Housing Company, set up by Sheffield City Council in partnership with Keepmoat and Great Places in 2011 to kick-start housebuilding in the city has delivered more than 400 new homes and developed skills and apprenticeship opportunities with local firms.

Now Sheffield City Council will be loaning £3million to kick-start the next phase of the project which will build around 850 new homes and deliver over £1bn of private sector investment into housing in Fir Vale, Manor, Norfolk Park and Parson Cross, in addition to the 450 they have already built.

Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “We all know that there has been a failure in this country to deliver the housing that we need, particularly for our young people and families. That is why we are acting locally thorough our programme to create an additional 1,000 new council homes in Sheffield to kick-start housing development in the city where we have land available.”

The work being commissioned for new housing estates such as Cutler’s View and Brearley Forge is benefitting local businesses’ to the tune of £18m, 200 jobs have been created with 46 apprentices.

And more than 170 training initiatives have been created by the company, which first formed in 2011 and is one of the few examples – although more are being inspired to follow – of a council linking up with house builders to kick-start the housing market.

Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods Service at Sheffield City Council and a Director of the Company, said: “It is great that Sheffield Housing Company will be able to build more good quality homes to increase choice, building on land that has been redundant for many years. This will improve the local economy, create local jobs and bring about the wider regeneration of these areas.”

Ian Hoad from Keepmoat said: “This loan from the City Council is a fantastic opportunity for the company and it shows the commitment that the council has to providing quality new homes across the city. It will enable us to progress around a further 851 homes on 12 brownfield sites.

“Working with our partners – Sheffield Council, Keepmoat and Great Places – this joint approach ensures that we can increase the number of new homes that we are building year on year, but it also means that we can continue to invest in the local areas in which we are developing. This means creating more jobs and providing more contracts to local supply chain businesses.”

In 2015, England’s local authorities built fewer than 3,000 new homes, just a tiny fraction of the estimated 250,000 new homes needed every year to meet demand. Sheffield Housing Company has built 450 homes over the last five years. Semi-detached houses – all with gardens – are selling from £99,995 for a two-bed, £152,00 for a three-bed and just over £200,000 for a four-bed.